Anorexia Nervosa

Get help NOW. Discover treatments for anorexia nervosa at Lakeview Health.

Anorexia nervosa can have a serious impact on your life. But thankfully, anorexia nervosa can be treated and you can recover. Get the help you deserve. Call 1-800-231-2950. The treatments at Lakeview Health are designed to help those suffering from anorexia symptoms and get them back into a healthy lifestyle. For immediate assistance, call 1-800-231-2950 now. Our staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call. For your peace of mind and personal privacy, all calls are kept confidential.

Anorexia Symptoms

Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most deadly types of eating disorders and treatment for it should be sought immediately. Besides being a dangerous eating disorder, anorexia nervosa is also classified as a mental illness, as the individual with the anorexia rarely realizes the danger that they are putting themselves in. The anorexia symptoms include:

• Rapid weight loss
• Refusal to maintain minimal normal body weight
• Skipping meals and making up excuses for doing so
• Poor self-image
• Frequently weighing oneself
• Excessive exercising
• Wearing baggy clothes
• Complaining about being overweight
• Females may miss three consecutive menstrual cycles
• Males may notice lack of sexual desire

Anorexia nervosa causes the individual to experience an overwhelming fear of gaining weight and / or becoming fat. They will also have an overtly strong determination to become thinner and thinner. Lastly, they will still feel fat even when their body is physically underweight.

Types of Anorexia Nervosa

One misconception people have about anorexia is that it is an illness that causes someone to avoid eating. While on one hand that may be true, there are in fact, two types of anorexia and one actually involves binge eating.

The first type of anorexia nervosa is called Restricting Anorexia. With this type, the individual restricts their food intake and forces weight loss through starvation or excessive exercise. The body simply does not get enough calories to function properly and health can quickly deteriorate.

The second type of anorexia nervosa is called Binge Eating / Purging Anorexia. Similar to bulimia, a person with this type of anorexia will eat an extraordinary amount of food only to self-induce vomiting in order to eliminate it from their body. They may also take large amounts of laxatives, diuretics or enemas.

Anorexia Nervosa Treatments

For many people suffering from anorexia nervosa, inpatient hospitalization is necessary. Some of the treatments for anorexia nervosa may include medications like antidepressants or tranquilizers, psychotherapy and self-help education.

In the event that the individual suffering from anorexia nervosa is also addicted to alcohol or drugs, which is a common occurrence, then treatment should be administered by a dual diagnosis facility. A dual diagnosis will ensure that the patient has their addiction under control before advancing on to treat the anorexia nervosa. This is accomplished by first undergoing a successful detox regimen followed by a rehabilitation program.